Don't know what to do...

[TraumaQueen]

Hello, everyone. This post is going to be long, so bear with me.

First, about me... I am 27 years old, married, and mother to two toddlers. My family lives in NYC. I currently work as an EMT. I went to college and studied pre-med, but because tuition was so expensive, I haven't been able to get my degree yet. I have about 15 credits to finish. I hope to get my bachelor's degree by the time my youngest starts school (in 3 years.)

I have a ton of experiences, volunteer work, and extra-curricular activities. The last time I saw my transcript, my GPA was 3.66. However, my last semester of college was horrible. I was pregnant and terribly sick, so I missed a lot of classes and I know my GPA definitely dropped. I took Organic Chem I that semester, so I may have to retake the course to get a higher grade. (I haven't seen my transcript again because I owe tuition money.)

My plan was to go to podiatry school after college. I would still like to go, but I'm not sure if this is realistic. I still have to get my Bachelor's degree and take Organic Chem 2. I may have to retake Organic Chem 1 if I did bad my last semester. I really don't remember much from any of my science classes. If I apply to podiatry school in three years (when I'm 30 years old), my pre-reqs would all be over 8 years old. Should I take all the pre-reqs over before applying? I would like to go to NYCPM because my family already lives in NY.

Would I be able to work while in pod school? I am an EMT, so would I be able to study while waiting around in the ambulance? Or would it be better to take out extra loans and save my time for family, studying, etc?

Or should I forget about podiatry completely and find a different career? I've looked into other careers (school psychology, audiology, speech pathology, optometry, chiropractic, teaching, pharmacy), but every single time I keep coming back to podiatry. I would love to be a podiatrist, but there's just so much I'm dealing with. 1) I'm already older than traditional students. 2) My last semester at college may have a horrible GPA, messing up my chances of getting in. 3) I have a family to worry about. How can I afford my kids' tuition without a job? 4) I may have to take all the pre-reqs over because I honestly don't remember all the sciences. 5) I'm so scared that I won't pass. I don't want to go to school and flunk out or fail the Boards.

I know I need to relax and take a breath, but this worries me so much. In your honest opinion, should I look into another career? Or you think it should still give podiatry a try?

Thanks!

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[pod87]

If you feel like podiatry is your true calling then you should definitely go for it, but you need to take things one at a time! It seems like you're thinking about too many different factors and what if's all at once and that can cloud anyone's judgment. My advice is really to focus on obtaining your Bachelor's and finishing your pre-requisites first because without those its pointless to even talk about podiatry school. You will also need to take the MCAT to be eligible for interviews and possible admission. I suggest contacting admissions at NYCPM and explaining your situation to them because they can guide you on what steps you need to take in order to be admitted.

With that said, there are a number of students in their 30s or with children in my class and they all seem to be doing just fine academically. Pod school is tough, but its also all about time management and so long as you apply yourself and focus on your classes its very doable. You just can't have that defeated attitude of thinking you'll flunk out or fail your boards otherwise you won't get far.

Good luck and I hope it all works out!

 

[g squared 23]

Agree with above, first things first. Get the bachelor's degree so if nothing else you'll have that in your pocket which will open the doors for whatever final path you choose.

IF you obtain that and IF you do well on the MCAT, starting Podiatry school at age 31ish is not that big of a deal. The challenge is that if you commit to it, you need to give EVERYTHING you have to becoming a doctor. You absolutely cannot work on the side since you already have children who will rightly envelope all of what little free time you will be left with. Half-@$$ing it and getting a DPM degree, and half-@$$ing your rotations will likely leave you in the scramble, $225k in debt and in worse financial shape than you are in now, with your children wanting to go off to college themselves.

Podiatry school is a HUGE commitment. Get your Bachelor's first, and then if/when you're ready to make the plunge, apply for an advanced degree. I highly, highly recommend PA school. In less than 3 years you're ready to work, make $70k+, have slightly less crippling debt, and can get on with the rest of your life.

 

[TraumaQueen]

Thanks for your responses. I'm glad to hear there are parents/older students doing well in podiatry school. I also thought about PA school, but I'm not too fond of the profession. I can also get a second bachelor's as a Registered Nurse (there's a one year program), the get advanced nursing degree to be a practitioner or anesthetist. Again, this isn't ideal though.